South Africa's EV future takes shape

Standalone solar chargers might be the solution that doesn't strain the grid

- By Julia Evans

In 2023, more than 1,200 new electric vehicles, all requiring charging, were sold in South Africa.

While traditional hybrids, which recharge via regenerative braking, still lead in sales, the demand for plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles is growing, along with the need for charging infrastructure. As with any emerging technology, this brings its share of anxieties.

"From our experience, the topic of range anxiety and access to charging stations is a risk when consumers consider purchasing EVs [electric vehicles], particularly when consumers do not plan to install solar, batteries and inverter systems at home, and have to rely on public charging infrastructure," Shivani Singh, chief projects officer at the Automotive Business Council, told Daily Maverick.

The council estimates that South Africa has about 443 public charging stations. But with the transition to EVs necessary because the transport sector accounts for 12% to 14% of SA's total CO2 emissions, the biggest emitter after the power industry - comes the issue of increased energy supply and a national grid that cannot support it.

Eskom is a 102-year-old utility with ageing infrastructure, particularly in distribution and generation.

Nick Singh, smart grid manager at Eskom's Research, Testing and Development Centre, told Daily Maverick: "We have an opportunity to leverage the containerised microgrids to actually use them for electric vehicle charging."

What are microgrids?

Microgrids are localised energy systems that can operate independently or while connected to the national grid.

Singh describes them as "energy in a box" - a shipping container housing a control system, an inverter, battery storage and a renewable energy source like solar or wind. These components allow the microgrid to generate, store and distribute power efficiently.